Rotherham motorsports supplier steps on the gas to launch own race team

Three directors from Gala Performance, the motorsports awning and equipment supplier, have announced the formation of their own race team and invested in a Citroen C1.

Gala Tent Ltd, the Rotherham-based marquee and gazebo designer and manufacturer, is the parent company of Gala Performance.

Gala Performance Motorsport, working with 2015 GT Cup champion Rob Gaffney of Amigo Motorsport, will be competing in the C1 Racing Club endurance series that starts at Rockingham Motor Speedway in Corby in May this year.

The Gala Performance Motorsport team consists of Gala Tent directors Andrew Scott and Mark Thompson and Glen Robinson, managing director of Gala Graphics, the company’s print business.

Mark Thompson, director at Gala Tent, said: “I had always fancied having a go at endurance racing and this just seemed an opportunity too good to miss.

“Not only will we be able to take part in a sport we’ve all followed for years, but we’ll be having the same experience as many of our motorsports customers, so will get to understand even better what they need from performance ware, tools, pop up gazebos, pit walls and other equipment.”

Jason Mace, managing director of Gala Tent, added: “Motorsports is a rapidly growing part of our business, which is the reason why we set up our dedicated motorsports business Gala Performance two years ago.

“Since then, the business has gone from strength to strength and we were delighted to be one of the main sponsors of the United Autosport team that won the 2016 and 2017 European Le Mans LMP3 titles!

“We’re not expecting to achieve these kind of dizzy heights straight away with our own team, but we’re excited about this new venture and hope it will help us to enhance and innovative within our product range.”

Gala Performance is a division of Gala Tent, a company with over 17 years’ experience in design, manufacture and supply of marquees and gazebos to the events industry.

Dedicated to the motorsports sector, Gala Performance provides a range of premium branded products including garage flooring, under brand Swisstrax, Omega Tools’ lifting equipment, Octanorm pit walling, as well as pop up awnings and gazebos manufactured by Gala Tent.

The company also provides a full range of promotional solutions to the motorsports industry, including banners, exhibition equipment, team wear, mats and flags.